Not so long ago, I had an interesting discussion with one of my charges about the mechanics of the squat. We addressed the overall impact of the squat on our body and how it actually affects its sports performance. But I don’t want to burden you with that. Rather, it gave me a little impulse to pause a bit on this great exercise and reveal something you may already know or don’t know 🙂 The truth is that a lot of interesting things have been and are still published about the squat, so I would like to dedicate the following lines to some of them.
If I wanted to be very layman’s terms, I could also put it this way- the squat is a very well-known exercise to strengthen the muscles of the lower limbs. In fact, this is the case. But again, there is that very well-known and popular “but”… Because there are several benefits for our body. Those involved in the issue agree that the squat is one of the basic exercises for sports training, rehabilitation after injuries, but also injury prevention, as well as for creating sufficient functional capacity for everyday life.
Something about the mechanics of the squat
Have you ever wondered if it is possible for each of us to perform the squat in the same way? What should we not forget, or what should we keep in mind when performing such a simple and at the same time so difficult motor pattern as the squat? I’ll add one more question – what is actually acceptable for our body?
A never-ending discussion. If we perform a squat it would be good to remember that there are different anatomical differences between us. I say this because when squatting, we should monitor the areas of our hips, knees and ankles. It follows that each of us has a different structure of the legs, ankle, knee and hip joints. Here we come to one of the answers why there can be really countless ways in which people can take into account their motor as well as biophysiological possibilities to perform the squat.
But let’s move on. The safety of deep squats has often been and is still debated. Those involved in the issue define a deep squat by the range of motion in the knee joint (when the knee reaches an angle of 120° to 140°) or by observing the position of the thighs, which come under parallel to the floor during a deep squat. In retrospect, the effect of pressure forces on the knee, which occur when performing deep squats, was questioned. However, these fears have been refuted by scientists. Scientists have stated that the action of compressive forces on the knee joint may be greater with a partial range of motion. The peak of the compressive forces applied to the patellofemoral joint is at an angle of 90° to 100° of bending of the knee during the squat. Other wise scientists have found that if the squat is done correctly, regardless of the depth, it is not only safe, but also there is a high probability of preventing any injury in the knee.
Another movement that is very often seen when performing a squat is a kind of “swing”, a bounce from the lower position of the squat, which helps to initiate the movement back up. This movement increases the mechanical load on the knee joint. This is because the highest forces and muscle tension usually occur when moving from the lower position upwards. Overall, these data suggest that deep squats, when performed appropriately and in a controlled manner, do not create harmful forces on the knees.
The motor pattern – squat – can be done in different ways. Different variations, wide position (“sumo squat”), narrow position (“narrow squat”), staggered positions (“single leg squat”, “rear foot elevated split squat”), load position (“front squat”, “sissy squat”), squat depth (“full-deep squat”, “shallow-half squat”). It should be borne in mind that each of these variations will affect the forces acting on the knee joint as well as the activation of muscle loops.
The squat is a versatile exercise that can target specific muscle groups for any performance as well as for rehabilitation purposes.